The state of the art for intelligent transportation systems in parking calculates and communicates information on current availability of parking spaces and allows visitors approaching a lot to make a decision to enter the lot or to drive further to an overflow parking area. For remote lots with high demand, a driver must decide to attempt to park or to go elsewhere well in advance of arrival at the parking area, but parking availability can change between the time when the driver makes that decision and the time when the driver will arrive at the lot.
Therefore, a need exists to allow a driver to know well in advance of parking availability so that the driver can make an informed decision as to where to park. The present invention solves this need by providing a method which forecasts parking availability by accounting for vehicles already in the lot and for vehicles en route. In addition, the method includes forecasts of how long vehicles will stay parked in the lot.